The story unfolded like the plot of a Tom Wolfe novel: a bizarre early-morning car crash involving Woods catalyzes a bimbonic chain reaction that hobbles a once stainless career and empire. The scandal raised fascinating issues of self-destruction and race—Woods referred to himself as “Blasian” in a text message to one member of his all-white harem—but the mistresses involved are largely uninteresting, apart from the fact that several appear to have sold out their sugar daddy for a particularly cheap kind of fame.

Fallout: The Senate battle over public health care gets short shrift by the media. Woods takes an indefinite leave of absence from competing and reportedly retreats into a world of cartoons, breakfast cereal, and late-night shanking. As a result, the golf industry braces for a predicted $220 million loss in revenues.

By David Zentz/A.P. Images (Uchitel); by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images (Woods).